I'm just a novice when it comes to Bolt Action. Over a decade ago I was playing BattlegroundWWII, which was an awesome rule set for 28mm gaming, but just did not have the backing of a tremendous marketing and development team like Warlord Games has. I later tried a few other rule sets, but none really play as well as Bolt Action. Overall, the details in the game are pretty simple, and in reality the game system is really focused on narrative play, with a continuous stream of campaign expansions. A really cool aspect is that Warlord Games has their own models for the key expansions of the range, but you can use ANY WWII miniatures of the basic size, including kits mad for modelers and such. It creates an overall environment of improved model accuracy and detail from all of the competing ranges.
Over Friday and Saturday I was able to spectate one game and play three. I skipped Sunday due to another commitment. I think I'd have played at least one more game, but I'll have to be better prepared for that to happen next time! In fact on arrival, I spent time walking through the vendors to get the game dice and pin markers I needed, and buy a few more books as resources!
Overall, if you have not been playing this game, the part that will strike you the most is the desire to play games on detailed terrain to add to the experience.
While I was playing my games, there was in fact a Bolt Action tournament going on for those in the competitive mind set.
Another cool element is that this game can allow you to be very tactical in how you play. Its not line them up and die, it can be a very cool game of doing the right thing, messing with your opponent's head, and lots of otherwise beer-and-pretzel moments.
Game 1 (observed) - Late War, USA vs German - Farm Village Crossroads (1250 points)
This was a terrific game to watch, and could have been an awesome stop-action movie. A friend, Brooksie, as the German player was in a meeting engagement - both sides were entering from the 4x6 table long edges, and the overall goal to to eliminate the enemy (collect orders dice).
In this case, the crossroads was formed a big "Y" (open to the west), with farm fields and agricultural buildings along the roadway. The American reinforced platoon was advancing in from the south, and consisted of about 4 infantry squads with some artillery support and a Sherman Tank. The Germans (Wehrmacht) advanced in from the north, and they were supported by a Stug III. It was interesting to see how the Germans could include a LMG and a panzerfaust in each squad, but the American infantry could only take MGs and bazookas as support. Neither side seemed to concentrate, instead they both advanced on broad fronts. The highpoint of the battle occurred when the Germans advanced around turn 2 on the west through an open field toward an orchard/woods. The US player then brought in his Sherman (from reserves) on the road, to open up on the exposed Germans causing some casualties. The Stug III, in response, zoomed up the road and turned the Y, shooting straight down the road and with a great dice roll, hit the Sherman in the side, causing it to be immobilized and turret jammed! In the next turn, the Stug III scored another hit, brewing up the Sherman. Because the US infantry had no other anti-tank assets remaining, the German infantry and Stug III began to dominate the game. At the end, the German player won. It made me think about tactics a bit more...
German infantry in the open!
Uh oh....
That did not go well....
US forces...
Game 2 - Late War - USA vs German - Industrial Zone (1250 Points)
This was a terrific game to play! Jon and I got into it for the friday night fight, and we used the "Tank Factory" Stalingrad table for open play. For our game, it was just a steel mill in Western Germany in the Ruhr. We rolled up the meeting engagement scenario, so we'd be fighting for orders dice (unit kills). I'd created the list on the fly, expanding my earlier US infantry list.
I now had a mechanized platoon - basically a first lieutenant leading three infantry squads, supported by a bazooka team, MMG team, and mortar team, with a M3 Scout Car, two M2A1 Halftracks, and a Sherman Tank. Each of my transports has a MMG. Jon was rocking a lieutenant, about three infantry squads, three trucks, a Pak40 ATG, a Tiger Tank, Kubelwagen, and some support MMGs (nasty MG42s) and a sniper team. As a reminder, US infantry can fire and move without penalty. German infantry get the movement penalty, but every LMG/MMG gets an extra fire dice. Overall, both sides were very similar, where I had more MMGs, but he had more AT.
As a meeting engagement, with dense industrial buildings and a single East-West road, it was more of a chess match Warhammer 40-style as to who was entering where. Tactically, with the Germans having a Tiger and Pak40, I wanted to get them out of the game. So I baited Jon. I was attacking in from the North. I put one squad (on foot), the MMG team, and the mortar team on my far left to catch his attention, and then entered the Sherman there too. Everything else was concentrated on my far right (West). Jon had started by spreading out along his side, but as soon as the Sherman entered he placed his Pak40, officer and infantry squad and a truck and the Tiger far East as well!
The game was terrific with a few great learning moments (thanks Jon!), like how easily all transports can be eliminated by just being physically closer at the end of a turn! That includes not just trucks, but armored halftracks and scout car! The only way to prevent it is to be in the vehicle with a transported unit!
As foreshadowed, my mortar and 30cal-MMG team killed off the Pak40 at range, and the Sherman was brewed up in one shot by the Tiger. My dismounted infantry squad in the East then dashed West through the buildings to join my main attack force. The mortar team held on till turn 4 when it was basically pulped by the Tiger at very short range, but in the mean time, I'd totally distracted the Tiger from doing major damage elsewhere and it would play no other role in the game!
In the West, the fight was a tremendous pitched battle between infantry and MG support from the various vehicles. Several vehicles were lost due to their bug-out rule in our close quarters battle. At the end of turn (7), the game was a DRAW and there were just a few orders dice left in the bag!
US Squad moving up a railroad track! Tiger in the distance!
Advance and hit that tank! MISS!
The main assault force driving into the mill complex on the left....
Its a meeting (engagement)....
Dice collection on turn 6...at the end it was a 7-7 draw....
Note to self - overall, my game showed how I'd need to re-tool and add to my model collection for these games! I'm very much looking forward to getting two bazooka teams, an MMG team, and medium mortar team as US infantry! I'd used my US paratrooper models, which were fine, bet lets face it! It's an excuse to get more models! In this game, being a new list, I'd had my troops as regular and the vehicles as veteran (not knowing the bug out rule). I've since switched the list to have the vehicles regular and the troops veteran! It makes a big difference!
Other stuff to add to my shopping list is a Stug III or Panzer IV. And maybe look for some bits to add better 30-Cal or 50-cal MGs to the halftraks. I already have a Tiger, Hetzer, and other Wehrmacht vehicles...and maybe a Panzer III or so for North Africa action...or maybe just that new D-Day expansion set...
All for now. When I get some time I'll cobble up day two - two battles to fight in Stalingrad!
MING
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